1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to aquatic gardening and, more particularly, to a self-watering floating planting system for growing a wide variety of plants, aquatic and other, in ponds and container water gardens.
2. Description of the Background
Water gardeners often try to achieve a decorative effect by placing pots and planters around ponds and water gardens. Submerged planters have long been available for this purpose. A typical submerged planter support an amount of dirt for growing plants, and they are placed on submerged shelves surrounding the periphery of the pond or water garden. Unfortunately, existing submerged planters are plagued by a number of problems relating to their placement and maintenance. For example, Koi carp fish forage around in the pots and dislodge the plants and spill the contents of the pots into the pond itself. In addition, pond builders do not always build the correct depth or sized planting shelves in the pond at the outset. Consequently, ad hoc shelves are later added and these can be unstable and unsightly. Furthermore, string or filamentous algae invade the planted pots, coating the stems and leaves of the plant causing plant damage and an unsightly appearance. Water gardeners are most often meticulous with the task of maintaining a neat clean appearance of their garden. Algae (either filamentous or unicellular) spoils the appearance of the garden with string algae or green water.
There has been at least one past effort at building a floating planter. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,108 to Scheuer shows a floating planter box comprising a polyhedral planar base member of a synthetic foam resin less dense than water. The planter displaces sufficient water to float the unit with the contained volume formed by the top surface and side members filled with soil and plants. An optional anchoring means hold the planter in place on a water surface. However, this floating planter box is designed for terrestrial or non-aquatic plants. It permits just enough water seepage to grow terrestrial or non-aquatic plants. Rather than protecting aquatic or pond plants from foraging Koi, it protects terrestrial plants from foraging rodents.
Although the above-referenced patent is generally directed to a floating planter, it is designed to grow terrestrial or non-pond plants only, and it does not address the use of a specialized fill mix residing in said planter to help achieve a proper float as well as to prevent algae blooms, feed the plants and condition the surrounding water. It would be greatly advantageous to provide a floating planter system inclusive of an economical planter and specialized fill mix that combine to provide a self-watering, self-feeding, anti-algae environment that will foster the growth of a wide range of aquatic and non-aquatic plants.